Research Projects
Oasis strives to develop, implement, evaluate and disseminate healthy aging programs. One way that Oasis does this is by being involved in research projects that evaluate the validity of programs designed to sustain or improve well-being in older age. Oasis research projects have been written up in several national journals.
Oasis Involved Research Projects
Active Living Every Day (ALED)
Regular physical activity has been shown to benefit persons of all ages. Even among frail and very old adults, mobility and functioning can be improved through physical activity. Physical activity incorporated into everyday life through the use of behavioral processes such as goal-setting, self-monitoring, and seeking social support, is an important alternative to traditional fitness center-based exercise. [Read more...]
Stanford University’s DSMP
According to the American Diabetes Association, older adults suffer from diabetes more than any other age group – 25 percent of adults over age 60 have diabetes. Older adults with diabetes are at risk for heart attacks, stroke and kidney failure, and are also more likely to have memory problems, depression and difficulty with diabetes self-care. Older [Read more...]
Active Start
In 2006 – 2008, the City of Los Angeles Department of Aging, in partnership with Oasis, collaborated with 11 local senior centers in the city of Los Angeles in a study to assess the effectiveness of Active Start, a community-based behavior change and fitness program, designed to promote physical activity among sedentary community-dwelling adults aged 50 and [Read more...]
ExerStart for Lay Leaders
Physical inactivity is a primary contributor to decreased functional physical fitness and the increase in chronic diseases in older adults. In 2014, Oasis led a study which assessed the health-related benefits of ExerStart for Lay Leaders, a 20-week, community based, peer-led, low-impact exercise program for older adults. ExerStart focuses on aerobic endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, and balance. [Read more...]
Partner with Oasis for your research project
Potential Projects
Oasis Publications
Active Generations
Oasis published a manuscript in 2011 that described the intergenerational childhood obesity prevention program called Active Generations. Active Generations impacted multiple generations by utilizing older adult volunteers to implement a version of the evidence-based childhood obesity prevention program, Coordinated Approach To Child Health (CATCH) in out-of-school settings (after-school and summer programs). CATCH and the after-school version, CATCH [Read more...]
Oasis HealthStages
In 2004, Oasis collaborated with Washington University for a published article that described the use of the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change (TTM) in the development and evaluation of a pilot health education program for older adults. The program was called HealthStages and was the first health education component of Oasis. Oasis centers had been offering health [Read more...]
Successful Aging
In 2013, Oasis staff authored an article in the journal Ageing International, which described Oasis’ community based model that leads to successful aging. The article discussed Oasis’ mission to promote successful aging through stimulating the intellect, promoting health and wellness, and encouraging social and civic engagement. (Kerz, M., Teufel, J. & Dinman, M. Ageing Int (2013) 38: [Read more...]